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Feeling battered after a tear up round GT's finest off piste trails this morning with @sofaking.
It's scorchio out there.
You know the drill, show us your riding pics.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52977899307_de3e07bebb_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52977899307_de3e07bebb_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oHtzK2 ]2023-06-16_01-47-41[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52977896332_0c7f980a2f_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52977896332_0c7f980a2f_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oHtyRJ ]2023-06-16_01-46-02[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Mount Battock and Clachnaben for me today. The climb up to Mount Battock was brutally hard, south facing, hot, long and very steep and the descent off Clachnaben was pretty sketchy.
I saw a couple of Adders too 😀


Cut Gate from Fairholmes and back. 26 miles, 3000ft
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979401574_d8aca12f17_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979401574_d8aca12f17_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/Dd98q57N7Y ]20230616_131457[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979628105_291b5dba35_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979628105_291b5dba35_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/J3813H00aU ]20230616_140935[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979627985_a16d070a5e_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979627985_a16d070a5e_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/5zs78Y1841 ]20230616_141740[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
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1km post-pub e-brompton cruise. 50m ascent. Some technical pot hole sections. Greek takeaway.
Ride at Arnside in Cumbria. Great views
Knocked off work a bit early and had a hot but nice pootle

Parked at Cefn-Brynich, just off the A40. A very pleasant ride along the canal to Talybont and then up the old tramway. Stayed low (in the shade) on the fire road/Taff Trail above the Talybont Reservoir. Through Taf Fechan and then up the Gap Road and down to Brecon. Popped in to see my cousin, and then a gentle spin back along the canal to the van. Absolutely stunning weather!





Currently sat here enjoying an Ichnuso after a final lap, then ride back to the office for a shower, pack the bike and heading to the airport.

No pics, but we sweated to Synergy Cycles in Auchterader to try a new/different saddle. A costly trip...
Local hill had a Hill Rally passing through so we sat and watched for a while.
Berwick to Holy island and back along the coast
Guess where ? 😎
It was indeed Scorchio 😎😎😎



Tintern loop. Met Chris Porter randomly. New DH track (to me) to finish was fantastic. GoPro-editing after a beer and a shower.
Such an awesome loop this. Views, trails, proper old woods, sunken bridleways, lots of rock and tech (and dust), fab day out. Properly tired now.
Mynydd Preseli was almost dry. Not quite but very close indeed 😊
Having bailed the group road ride I was meant to join this morning due to hayfever, once antihistamines had settled everything down, popped out this afternoon on one of my regular 50k road/bridleway loops.
Looks a bit different to last time I rode it.. everything has grown!
This bit is always a bit stingy, dropping into a fun but technical, heavily eroded, steep descent which is baked chalky clay with lots of flint nodules..
With less room to take evasive action due to the undergrowth, it pays to look where you want to go, not at the massive rut which swallowed my front wheel, oops... a soft landing into a load of brambles and nettles...
My cycle top now has added ventilation...
The nettle rash on my shins and knuckles is still tingling but cracking ride.
Intervals this morning then and endurance ride this evening - decided to take the bigger bike out and have a bit of fun. Humid in the trees but loved it:



Friday evening recce round the local trails that our Bronze D of E students will be using next week for their practice expedition. Proper old school edge of field bridleway XC stuff. Plenty of cheek. Warm.
Spent the day watching the DH from Leogang picking my lines for when we go next week. 😉
Sorted out the spares ready to be loaded up. Checked the bikes over last night and the only bit of fettling needed was a new tyre on the back of mine as I don't think it would last the trip


Took a photo of my bike after had to stop riding, due to running out of water again… 3l bladder is in the Camelbak for tomorrow! but yeah, was quite impressed with the lighting in the photo. Dunno why, sexy bike
[img]
Not scorchio in South Yorkshire, in fact had bits of rain on and off. Still found time for a quick loop on the quieter local trails to home and got chased by a hungry horsefly who was insistent I was lunch.

If what your life is short of on a Sunday morning is 12 minutes of wibbling, bang average riding, brilliant trails and some dodgy gopro settings, it's all here for you 🙂
No idea what's going on with my GoPro. Last video in similar light, was great. This time a bit dark, loses focus etc. Still does not detract from the quality of the riding 🙂
Orchids out on the plain.

I've found a decent hill in my area! Nice and steep, and the descent has berms and drop-offs. Just park in the right spot or you'll get a ticket 😠

Hardtail fun before the thunder rolls in

Ashe warren, Hampshire. Wild flowers grown for harvesting the seeds, a real blaze of colour. Bottom of the loop from Newbury mostly off road 36.4 miles, warm at 27*

Muggy one on 'tops today. Avoided the storms but last nights rain has made things greasy in the woods lower down.


Was quite pleased to see some colour on a bit of a dull day… been a bit outshone by dexa’s pic though !

Local Burnley loop.
No pictures of the ride, but two punctures (both mine, bah) and several horsefly bites.
I can take a picture of those if you like.....
Out delivering father's Day present
https://flic.kr/p/2oHW6Dm
Extreme gravelling yesterday
https://flic.kr/p/2oHNSVB
Collecting ornate post boxes, felt a bit AJ Rimmer
https://flic.kr/p/2oHHCay
Ride at Drumtochty today and saw this in the car park


Fun session on South Downs and at Stanmer Park, hit and dusty!
Fun morning on the steep stuff at Black Andrew, tough on the legs. Great fun and took a pb from 1:49 to 1:16.

Hang on! Have these two people ever been seen in the same room together?
Pea soup out over the Purbecks tonight, the undergrowth has shot up about 4 foot in the 2 weeks I’ve been away, lovely and refreshing temperature/breeze though.





High Tor and Black Rocks after a very heavy night. I was rubbish, but it cleared the head
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52983008762_6c90d02f63_4k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52983008762_6c90d02f63_4k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/n71k93pHFN ]20230618_115504~2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52984073303_aab8badef1_4k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52984073303_aab8badef1_4k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/4zMJB5B15t ]20230618_115536~2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
A cracker of a dry ride around the tops of Rossendale with a few “cheeky” sections with a “light ale” at Casked to finish.
Took a day off post birthday as a present to myself and to go for a bike ride.
Just perfect - warm, sunny with a breeze and a hare hopping towards me when I sat down for my sandwich. Until it realised I was there!
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52986318755_e7c10da45a_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52986318755_e7c10da45a_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oJdJxV ]IMG_0824[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/queenie2010/ ]Bindylou[/url], on Flickr
Nice bike Anna
I had a couple of nice local rides on my new (old) single speed as well

Thank you, same to you 🙂 Gotta love a rigid SS 29er. Actually I'm assuming yours is 29, I can't tell unless there is a 26er for reference! Enjoy your new bike.
Yp, 29er. Old school geometry but new school wheels
I could prob ride nothing but SS 29ers for the rest of my life, can't see myself ever going back to a 26er
Two lovely singlespeeds there. Bon. Had a fun 80 mile round trip on mine to go camping in the mendips with some mates. Great 24 hour jaunt and some delicious apple based beverages were enjoyed.
https://flic.kr/p/2oJhuqm
@shedbrewed, nice, what's that thing and what are those handlebars? (is it a Crust of some sort?)
Thank you ☺️
Nice, plus - 80 miles, in 24 hours, on a SS, with camping gear?? 😳 good effort!
<p style="text-align: left;">@legometeorology it’s an RG Evans Frameset he made for me a year or so back. Awaiting another with a few tweaks. This pic is with the Midge bars
https://flic.kr/p/2nZgDbY</p>
The bars are Whisky Winstons. I’ve just flipped them over to see how they feel in mild riser mode: they have a 25mm rise but looking at them side on and the handgrips are at stem level. @Anna-B there was restorative cider and chips 😄
















